Feature type

Fault Scarp

A cliff formed where the crust has broken and one side has risen relative to the other. Mercury is covered in long lobate scarps produced as the planet cooled and shrank.

In brief

A cliff formed by faulting of the crust.

Examples of this feature

Discovery RupesSurface feature
Mercury
A great lobate cliff on Mercury, formed as the planet's interior cooled and its crust contracted, thrusting one block of terrain over another.

Knowledge connections

Group includesDiscovery Rupes

Sources

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.

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